International Community Health Services (ICHS) and the ICHS Foundation today announced that nominations are open for the 2018 Bamboo Award for Health. The award recognizes the outstanding work of people and organizations supporting ICHS and its mission to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health and wellness services, and promote health equity. These works and achievements may have resulted in:

Increased access to health services for ICHS patients, clients and local underserved communities.

More information about the ICHS Bloom Gala, which raises funds to support uncompensated health care, can be found here.

Invitation to share a favorite ICHS story or memory

This year’s Bamboo Award recipients will be honored as ICHS celebrates its 45th anniversary and origins within Seattle’s Asian American community. Founded in 1973, ICHS got its start providing in-language health care for mainly elderly Chinese and Filipino patients living in single room occupancy hotels in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. Volunteer doctors, interpreters and mental health staff operated the clinic and it was one of the nation’s first to focus on the health care needs of a diverse Asian American population.

As ICHS preserves the past and helps uncover the narrative of Seattle’s diverse communities for its 45th celebration, local community members are invited to share their stories, photos and memories by contacting: foundation@ichs.com.

International Community Health Services (ICHS) leadership was in Olympia on Feb. 1, for Joint Legislative Days. They joined 82 CEOs, board members and senior staff representing 20 community health centers, at the state capital to advocate for a shared legislative agenda, as organized by the Washington Association of Community & Migrant Health Centers and Community Health Network Washington.

This was a chance for health centers to advocate directly to legislators on behalf of patients.Teresita Batayola, ICHS president and CEO, and ICHS board members Gildas Cheung, Hiroshi Nakano, Kelli Nomura and Lee Marchisio participated in 18 meetings with state legislators and their staff, representing the key districts where ICHS patients live.

In these meetings, Batayola and ICHS board members thanked legislators for their leadership in passing the state’s capital budget, which will fuel the ICHS Shoreline Clinic’s dental care expansion and new AiPACE senior care program. They reiterated the importance of protecting the health safety net, and reminded lawmakers that Washington Apple Health and the Children’s Health Insurance Program keep people healthy, productive and employed. Most importantly, they made sure those in Olympia heard the stories of ICHS — our patients and their families, our providers and our communities.